Shoe-shank support.



A, B. BLOCK. SHOE SHARK SUPPORT. nruo'n'xox rum) APR. no. nos.

917,841 Patented Apr. 13. 1909.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

f'ial A. E. BLOCK. SHOE BHANK SUPPORT.

APILIOA'I'IOI FILED APR. 28, 1908.

917,841 Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET ALEXANDER E. BLOCK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SHOE-SHANK SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 28, 1908. Serial No. 429,782.

Patented April 18, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Annxaxnsn E. BLOCK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Shank Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in shoe-shank supports, and has for its object to provide a metallic support l'orthe strengthenmg or repairin of shoe-shanks and adaptegagi be applie upon the exterior of the s In the drawm' gs Fi e I is aside elevation of a shoe in which ilie shank is broken down, the original and pro er position of the shank being indicated in otted lines. 2 is a side elevation of a shoe showing the method of ap lying the shank support of my invention. 3 IS a. bottom plan view of a shoe showing t e support of my invention in place. F' 4 is a slde elevation of a shoe showing the shank restored to its original position by means of my support. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical view in section of a shoe shank, showing my su -porter in place, taken along the line 5-5 of 1g. 4, Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the device of my invention, showing the loweriface thereof permost. F' 7 is a similar view showing 0 up rfacet ereof.

As own in the dra the shank 8 of the shoe 9djvhendbroll r en owlrli assume/p the; positionin cute in .1,t eongm' :1 ans proper position of the hank being as indicated by the dotted linesin 1. To restore the shank to its original and proper position, I have devised a supporter comprismg a main body section 10 curved to register with the outeriacc of the shoe-shank, having a shoulder 11 adapted to, abut against the front surface of the heel l2 and the terminal projecting tongue 13 adapted to be driven into or seated in the front of the heel, as

illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4; For convenience in sec the su port in position, I have provided t e lugs 14-14 and 15-45 at the sides of the main body'portion 10, and

the forwardl ro'ect' lu 16-16.

The 3110e8151kl1ei1i2if0fi211 down as illustrated in F ig. 1, my supporter is first placed in position for adjustment by havin the rejectm tongue 13 driven into the i i-out Face of the eel 12 so that the angle formed b the shoulder 11 and the body section 10 will fit closely into the angle formed by the front face of the heel and the lower face of the shank; the lugs l414, 1515 and 16-16 are of a suflicient width to permit the nail or screw openings 17 with which thev are ro vided to fall outside of the outer edges 0 the ordinary metallic stifiening strip 18 which is built in and alo shank of the shoe, so that the nails, rivets or screws whereby the supporter is secured will not be obstructed by said stifl'ener 18 in be ing driven into the shank, but will be driven to either side of said stri 18 as illustrated in Fig. 5. The supporter 15 then attached to the shank by means of pins, rivets, or other fastening devices passi through the lugs 14-14 and 1515; Win 5 will leave the forward lugs 1616 sli htly depressed and out of contact with the ower face of the shank, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The fastening of the lugs 16l6 to the shank will then draw the lower portion of the shank downwardly as illustrated in Fig. 4, thus restoring the shank to its original and proper ition.

The shank supporter which I have thus described may be applied to new shoes, for the purpose of prevent" the breaking down of the shank, or may e applied, as hereinbefore described, to restore a shank which has once become broken down, to its original position, where it serves to support the instep of the wearer.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to have secured to me by the grant of Letters Patent, is:

In a shoe-shank support, the combmation of a shoe having a metallic stiffening strip embedded in the shank thereof, of an outer support comprising a main body section curving to register with the outer face of the shoe-shank, a shoulder adapted to abut against the heel, a terminal projecting tongue .on said shoulder ada ted to be seated in the front of the heel perf rated laterally projecting lugs integral with the body section, perthe median line of the fornted forwardly projecting in s, and fasname to this specification, in presence of two tenrng lneans agapted itlo ptslass I: rfoufih sfiid subscribing wltnesses. peoratlqnsan intotesan otesoe s at the points outside of the edges of the me- ALEXANDLR BLOCK 5 tallic stiffening strip, substantially as de- Witnesses:

scribed. JAMES L. Homuns,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my ALFRED A. EwKs. 

